What Exactly Is Chaos?
by AngelLouize
Summary: What Exactly Is Chaos? It's a fic I wrote a long time ago that I have fixed. Nothing like anything I have ever written before. It's just trying to explain Chaos theory... A butterfly or a Tornado?


Okay this was my kind of arty' little fic I wrote a while ago, when I first found out that the season premiere was called Chaos Theory. It was something I had studied at school, or my dad had told me about or something and I kind of understood it. It interested me and so I went and found out some more about it and then wrote this fic to explain it to everyone and kind of get all the information straight in my own head. It's hard to explain but it's a sort of brain- child' of mine. I posted it a while ago, it was one of the first I ever wrote but I wasn't saving my files as HTML docs then and it was a mess on the screen, this should be better to read. It's nothing like my usual fics, or my usual style. If it sucks, forget it ever existed!  
  
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What exactly is Chaos?_  
  
  
What exactly is chaos? Put simply, it is the idea that it is possible to get completely random results from normal equations. Chaos theory also covers the reverse: finding the order in what appears to be completely random data._  
  


  
  
  
She's definitely a tornado  
  
Carter stood back, watching Abby closely. She was in the water now, splashing and randomly bringing different body parts to the surface every now and again. He sighed, wondering if she had taken in a word of what he had just said.   
  
He took in a deep breath of fresh air, he remembered once again just how grateful he was to be once again outside, two weeks is a long time. He had come to realise exactly what his life was, exactly how lucky in in fact was. Abby... she was, well, different. Total Chaos that's for sure. He didn't know if she was good different or bad different, he only knew he was drawn to her. He had been for a long time.  
  
However, coming from having nothing to having everything was a strange feeling, he hoped for there to be more sparks than this. He had never honestly had sparks with any girl before, he had enjoying kissing and sex, but there was never that extra bit... that pang of chemistry he longed for.   
  
Abby was beautiful- there was no doubting that. But so was Susan, Harper, Anna... and every other girl he'd had something with... He'd come to realise looks weren't everything. But what's inside wasn't all that mattered wither...  
  
Somethings are meant to be... but if the simple butterfly flapping it's wings could change so many things... maybe fate doesn't control everything...  
  
Maybe Chaos rules after all... Carter muttered the statement in the incoming breeze.  
  
  
  


_The flapping of a single butterfly's wing today produces a tiny change in the state of the atmosphere. Over a period of time, what the atmosphere actually does diverges from what it would have done. So, in a month's time, a tornado that would have devastated the Indonesian coast doesn't happen. Or maybe one that wasn't going to happen, does.   
  
  
  
_

Susan brought her hand to her forehead, stroking pieces of hair from her face. She sighed deeply, wanting to be back on those beautiful beaches... under that warming sun... swimming in that clear blue sea...  
  
Barbados was a long way away... The ER department of county cook general seemed a different world in comparison but a part of her was glad to be back. She had needed some time to think- to clear her head. Now her outlook was clean, fresh, healthy... all over again. She had missed being able to save lives, knowing she was making a difference...  
  
She had noticed Carter and Abby on her arrival, looking happy- if a little tired. Carter was sure growing up fast... in a way she had always felt like a mother figure to him- helping him, guiding him... teaching him how to grow up... It was strange to see him doing it on his own- without any of her help whatsoever. But today he had seemed different- distant. Happy but far, far away. Thinking...  
  
She began to once again think about this whole idea of Chaos. She had been seated next to a particularly boring young man on her flight to barbados, her fear of flying was bad enough already- it had taken all her strength to get on the damn plane anyway- this idiotic moron hadn't made it any easier... But eventually after she gave in and began to listen, it turned out he made some sense- if only a little- after all... the whole idea, he had explained, was about finding order in random events, or random events causing chaos... Just then a butterfly fluttering past caught her attention.  
  
I wonder what kind of chaos you're causing right now... She thought out loud.  
  
  


_The good news about chaos is that it is natural. It is a key component of the universe. Chaos may cause uncertainty but it also creates the opportunities that create hope and change._  


  
  
  
Luka strolled past Kerry into Romano's room. He stood for a minute, considering if he should be going in here or not, being finally pushed by Kerry's soft touch on his shoulder.  
  
He will appreciate it, Luka  
  
Yeah but he sure as hell won't show it... He stepped inside, trying not to stare at the bandaged arm by Romano's side. Damn that helicopter. He looked at Romano's face, trying to find a reaction on his harsh features... he just couldn't tell.   
  
Ah... Dr Kovac, what brings you here? Feeling guilty...  
  
This was going to be harder than Luka had anticipated. Taking a seat at the chair next to his bed Luka sighed heavily.  
  
You know I have nothing to feel guilty about Dr Romano and the sooner you face up to that fact the sooner you can get over this.  
  
Robert Romano's face exploded, he began to rant, his face becoming redder and redder by the second, his fist clenching.  
  
GET OVER THIS!? YOU THINK I WILL GET OVER THIS? YOU DR KOVAC HAVE SINGLE HANDILY RUINED MY LIFE, YOU WANT ME TO GET OVER THIS!? GET OUT... NOW!  
  
Luka stood gently shaking his head. He felt Romano's pain, honestly he did. He just didn't know what to say to ease it- he didn't know if he could... He stood reaching for the door and exiting the room, glaring at Kerry before starting to walk towards the lift. He recalled something a patient had once told him, about Chaos theory...  
  
That must have been one hell of a butterfly  
  
  


_The universe is a chaotic place. It is full of uncertainty and it can be difficult to predict exactly what is going to happen at any given time be it the present or the far future._  


  
  
  
Dr Gregory Pratt exited the tall building, thanking god for finally getting him out of there. He blinked, trying to adjust his eyes to the bright light of the sun. A pretty blonde in a tight red dress walked past, turning and winking, he gave his sexiest smile before letting out a wolf whistle, jesus he'd missed this place.  
  
The huge glass front of the shop gave himself time to check himself out before turning back and starting off once again towards the El station. He noted a man and woman arguing in a red car, it looked pretty heated but he continuing onwards, muttering under his breath about the state of drivers these days.   
  
He stopped at the lights, waiting the green man to appear. A girl and her mother stood next to him and he remembered his younger sister having a doll similar to the once she carried in her gloved hands.   
  
With the ping of the lights he walked forwards, the woman and girl over taking him- they must be late, he decided. The last thing he saw was a flash of red and a scream, two screams. The doll flew over his head and a horn screeched. The world stopped, moving in slow motion for a minute or two.   
  
He stood for a while, noticing the same man and woman he'd cursed a minute or two ago. The little girl and her mother lay on the street side by side and he recalled a bit from Jurassic Park, it had been his favourite film as a kid... Chaos Theory. He cursed the damn butterfly, muttering under his breath words no-one but him could hear.  
  
What the hell happened to the tornado?  
  
  
  
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None of the characters used above belong to me. They belong to the clever guys who created the wonder we call ER. This story was based on various spoilers I read about the season 9 premiere Chaos Theory I haven't seen the episode. I'm from the UK so I've got to wait until January for that pleasure. I tried to explain the concept of Chaos theory but I don't fully understand it myself. Apparently only very few scientist type people really understand the concept completely. I hope you all got a better understanding of it. Thank you to all the fantastic sites I used to get quotes from. They are listed below. Chaos theory is explained well in each of the sites so if you want to learn more I recommend having a look. I, like all authors, live for feedback, please contact me at angellouize@aol.com with any comments.   
The following resources were all extremely useful:  
  
http://www.imho.com/grae/chaos/  
http://www.libraryreference.org/chaos.htm  
Ian Stewart, Does God Play Dice? The Mathematics of Chaos, pg. 141  
  



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